Dilled potato salad

Potato salad is so good for hot summer days. Tip: cook the potatoes with water seasoned with salt and vinegar for a perfect taste.

Every once in a while, I get stuck. I feel like I’ve run out of recipe ideas, so I look everywhere for inspiration. I was recently stuck like this, right before summer, and I whined about it to my mom. She simply said “make that potato salad, it’s so good in summer” as if I know exactly what she meant.

I didn’t, so she had to explain it to me, and pull out her recipe card box. She says it is her favorite potato salad, but I have no memory of ever eating it or seeing her make it. But she was right, it is a great potato salad for summer. She loves dill, so anything with a healthy dose like this is likely to appeal, but the crispy peas, crunchy, salty capers, and tangy creamy dressing make this a stand-out version. So I call it Mom’s, not because it’s a long-held family memory, but because my mom said so.

Cooking the potatoes in water with salt and vinegar, helps to season the potatoes. It can be tough to get a salty balance with cold, cooked potatoes after the fact. I like to use little red potatoes that hold their shape better when you cut them after cooking.

Mom's Dilled Potato Salad
Serves 6

1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 pounds small red potatoes
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon drained capers
3 green onions, white and light green parts, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1. Add the salt and vinegar to a large pot of water and bring to the boil. Drop in the potatoes and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain well and leave to cool.

2. When the potatoes are cool, mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, dill, lemon juice, capers and green onions together in a large bowl (or use the pot you cooked the potatoes in to save a dirty dish).

3. Cut the potatoes into bite size pieces and add to the dressing with the peas. Stir to coat, season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and refrigerate. Leave to chill for a few hours, but the salad will keep for up to two days.

Related post on The Runaway Spoon: Garlic Goddess Potato Salad